"Friendly Fire" is a commentary on war and loss and includes the use of an American flag. Take a close look at a mother's letter under the folded flag (see image close-ups). Flashlight included to read mother's message.

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Mario Uribe Wrote:

"Why do I make art? Artistic expression is indispensable to an artist, maybe that's what makes us artists to begin with; for me, creating art is a way to document the moments, thoughts, feelings, and emotions of my life – my perspective. I make art that deals with things that concern me; some meaningful others quite banal, but it always, whether I want it to or not, reveals who I am. I try to make art that is honest and deals with the now. I make art about me and primarily for me.

My art has been heavily influenced by Zen philosophy and traditional Japanese arts. Making circles for twenty-some years may seem redundant (no pun intended) to some, but I feel no need to "move away." This self-examination and expression of what interests me seems to fulfill my needs as an artist and is constantly in flux. Perhaps the end result of this exploration hints at my personal process, or maybe not; after all, the viewer always brings his/her own perspective to their interaction with a work of art. If they invest the time, they will find something of interest; the art will reveal something about the artist, or maybe their own selves – either is good.

My works often combine re-arranged fragments of calligraphy, papers, and images that suggest layers of meaning and the weathered passage of time – a wabi-sabi aspect if you will – because those elements suit my concept of life. I either organize these components in traditional forms or disorganize them in a purposely-rough presentation: which is my effort at non-thinking, something I find essential to capturing the energy of the moment, and avoid a contrived end result; it's not so easy. I aim for artistic expression that will be the result of integrity instead of skillfulness, spontaneity instead of calculation, and exactness in place of perfection. These elements guide me and provide the self-knowledge I gain from the process."

Mario_URIBE_on_Political_Art

IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS CONTAIN MARIO's WORKS:

San Diego Museum of Fine Arts, San Diego, California
Laguna Beach Art Museum, Laguna Beach, California
Musee de L' Affiche, Paris, France
Musee des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts, Los Angeles, California
Amerika Haus, Berlin, Germany